The invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnosing apparatus with an ultrasonic probe of the electronic linear scanning type.
In the conventional ultrasonic diagnosing apparatus of this type, scanning is performed by mechanically moving an ultrasonic probe on a plane which is spaced a fixed distance from and positioned parallel with the abdominal surface of the subject to be examined. In the conventional apparatus an ultrasonic beam directed orthogonal to the abdominal surface and reflected from the target portion to be diagnosed in the abdomen. The tomogram (C-mode image) thus formed is a cross-sectional image of the target area taken along a plane which is spaced a fixed distance from and is in parallel with the scanning surface of the ultrasonic probe.
Organs in the abdomen such as the kidney and the liver take various shapes as cross-sections are oriented in various directions, and this fact is correspondingly applicable for the target portion to be diagnosed. Nevertheless, the C-mode tomogram formed by the conventional apparatus is a mere two-dimensional cross-sectional image of the target portion taken parallel with the abdominal surface. Therefore, it is very difficult to accurately diagnose the desired target portion.